Yes, open-air smoking landside, outside the terminal building, is permitted at Teniente Luis Candelaria Airport (BRC) in San Carlos de Bariloche, under Argentina’s national law banning smoking in every enclosed public space. The airport publishes no dedicated smoking area of its own, and it lists no airside facility — treat the open air outside the terminal, before security or after you land, as the option.
Bariloche’s airport is the main gateway to Argentina’s Lake District and its Andean ski resorts, sitting about 13 kilometres from downtown San Carlos de Bariloche. Its single terminal covers around 12,000 square metres.
Where to Smoke
Nationally, Ley 26.687 keeps every enclosed public space in Argentina smoke-free, which is why an airport terminal never has an indoor smoking room. BRC’s own website goes no further than that — it lists no dedicated smoking area, marked spot or signage of its own. What that leaves is the open air outside the terminal building, on the landside, where the national law does not restrict smoking.
After Security
BRC’s own service and facilities listings name no airside smoking room, so anyone flying out of Bariloche should smoke landside first. Transiting or connecting through BRC and hoping to step out for one is a similar story: the airport has not published any procedure for leaving and re-clearing security for a smoke break, so budget extra time and confirm with your airline before you try it. Our guide to smoking during layovers covers the general planning.
Lounges
BRC’s AMAE Lounge sits on the ground floor of the arrivals hall, landside, with opening hours of 06:30 to 22:00. It has no smoking area.
Vaping
BRC publishes no separate rule for e-cigarettes, so vape only where smoking is permitted: in the open air landside, outside the terminal, and not indoors or airside. Argentina separately bans the sale and import of e-cigarettes and heat-not-burn devices under ANMAT Disposición 3226/2011, so do not expect to buy a device or refills once you land in Bariloche.
For onward connections, the outdoor smoking area at Ezeiza International works the same landside-only way.
Summary
| Area | Smoking | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Indoor terminal | No | Smoke-free nationwide under Ley 26.687 |
| After security / airside | No | Airport’s own listings name no airside facility |
| AMAE Lounge | No | Ground floor, arrivals hall (landside); no smoking area |
| Outdoor landside | Yes | Open air outside the terminal, permitted under national law; no marked spot published |
| Vaping | Landside open air only | No separate airport rule; vape only where smoking is permitted; e-cigarette sale/import banned nationally |
For Argentina’s airport smoking rules and vaping law, see our Argentina airport guide.